Resolution Booklet of the National Selection Conference 2012

Resolution Booklet

12th National Selection Conference of EYP the Netherlands 10 – 12 February 2012, Amsterdam

PROCEDURE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY General rules The wish to speak is indicated by raising the committee placard The authority of the board is absolute Procedure and time settings Presenting of the motion for the resolution (operative clauses, friendly amendments) 3 minutes to defend the motion for the resolution 3 minutes to attack the motion for the resolution Points of information General debate 3 minutes to sum-up the debate Voting procedure Announcing the votes Friendly amendment Last minute modifications of a resolution in order to improve it. Amendments are to be handed in on a specific form (distributed to the chairs) two resolutions before the resolution in question.

Point of information Request for a brief explanation of the meaning of specific words and abbreviations.

Note that translations are not points of information.

Point of personal privilege Request for a delegate to repeat a point that was inaudible.

Point of order A delegate feels that the board has not properly followed parliamentary procedure.

The placard is used by chairpersons after a request from a delegate.

Direct response Once per debate, each committee may use the Direct Response sign. Should a committee member raise the Committee Placard and the “Direct Response� sign, the board recognises them immediately. The direct response sign is used to contribute to the point made directly beforehand.

PROGRAMME 9:30 – 10:00 Opening of the General Assembly 10:00 – 10:15 Explanation of GA procedure 10:15 – 11:00 LIBE II 11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break 11:30 – 12:15 AFET 12:15 – 13:00 CULT 13:00 – 13:45 ECON 13:45 – 14:30 Lunch 14:30 – 15:15 LIBE I 15:15 – 16:00 EMPL 16:00 – 16:45 CLIM 16:45 – 17:15 Coffee Break 17:15 – 18:00 AFCO 18:00 – 19:00 Closing Ceremony

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON C IVIL L IBERTIES , J USTICE AND H OME A FFAIRS II The Occupy movement in Europe: an expression of direct participatory democracy? How should the EU respond to the dissatisfaction of its citizens, and how should it react to the growing activity of civil movements across Europe in order to ensure that the voices of its citizens are being heard?

Submitted by:

Midas Boeke (Berlage Lyceum); Loes Broekgaarden (K.S.G. de Breul); Michael Doorakkers (Metameer); Storm Gibbons (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Jesse van der Haas (Stanislas College); Robin HabbĂŠ (Tabor Werenfridus); Douwe Heemskerk (RSG Pantarijn); Lay de Jong (Marnix College); Jasper Meijer (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Willemijn Polders (Revius Lyceum Doorn); Kiran Rajan (Erfgooiers College); Vivian Vermeeren (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); GrĂĄinne Hawkes (Chairperson, IE); Zahra Runderkamp (Vice-President, NL)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Emphasising the importance that the voices of civil movements and individual European Union Citizens are heard, B. Aware of the need for citizens to express their dissatisfaction in a constructive manner, C. Defining direct participatory democracy as a political system in which decisions are made independently by citizens rather than representatives, D. Fully aware of the need to increase the use of direct democracy in order to allow citizens influence the political decision making process, E. Deeply concerned with decreased political participation caused by the number of EU citizens lacking knowledge of the mechanisms of representation available to them within national governments and the EU, F.

Recognising that each Member State is best placed to react to their national problems,

G. Expecting that national platforms will provide a fast track direct participatory democracy for citizens, H. Convinced that civil movements should initiate dialogue with the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) and national platforms, I.

Keeping in mind that civil movements are often radical in both their nature and viewpoint,

J.

Deeply disturbed by the use of violence by civil movements,

1.

Urges all Member States to provide a national platform through which citizens propose solutions for local, national and international political issues affecting them;

2.

Authorises each Member State to independently decide on the composition of their national platform according to their domestic needs;

3.

Endorses the use of national platforms by governments and the ECI by the EU to respond to civil movements when they have initiated communication;

4.

Emphasises the need for civil movements to understand that compromise is necessary for effective political solutions;

5.

Designates Member States to provide citizens with easily accessible information about opportunities to participate in the democratic process;

6.

Calls for the implementation of an EU-wide no tolerance policy towards violent civil movements that disregard lawful channels of communication.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON F OREIGN A FFAIRS With the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stating that the violence committed by the Syrian government against its citizens has amounted to “crimes against humanity”, how should the EU best respond to this ever growing crisis?

Submitted by:

Tirza Dam (Cals College); Fahad Fahad (Tabor Werenfridus); Chandelle van Gelderen (Berlage Lyceum); Milan Happé (Erfgooiers College); Thijs Heijligenberg (Marnix College); Tom Molenaar (Christelijk Lyceum Zeist); Nick Poels (Metameer); Max van der Stelt (Mencia de Mendoza); Titus Verster (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Thomas Vos (RSG Pantarijn); Kim van Winkel (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Moira Lanters (Chairperson, NL); Niall Murphy (Chairperson, IÉ)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Deeply concerned with the lack of certain basic human freedoms brought about by the actions of the Syrian government such as the: i)

freedom of assembly,

ii)

freedom of association,

iii)

freedom of movement,

B. Deeply disturbed that Russia and China place a greater emphasis on international trade than human rights, and that this has thus far prevented the passing of a UN Security Council resolution on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, C. Noting with regret that the Syrian government refuses to talk and cooperate with the interested parties within the country and on the international level, D. Welcoming the work of the Arab League in their attempts to bring the crisis to a resolution, E. Deeply convinced that creating a new, sustainable and democratic government for Syria is fully achievable, F.

Bearing in mind that the United States of America may not be willing to support military action against Syria,

G. Fully aware that unilateral military intervention would cause dangerous instability in the region, H. Taking into account that not every EU Member State would be willing to participate in a military intervention, I.

Convinced that all viable diplomatic and economic options have been exhausted,

J.

Further convinced that military intervention is now the only remaining viable option to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Syria;

1.

Urges the UN Security Council to vote in favour of a resolution calling for military intervention in Syria;

2.

Calls upon NATO to execute said military intervention in Syria, in close alliance with the Arab League and according to the provisions laid out in the aforementioned UN resolution;

3.

Draws attention to the fact that the current state of civil unrest and the autocratic regime put Russian economic investments in Syria under threat;

4.

Calls for the establishment of a democratic regime and the development of a free and open economy;

5.

Supports the freezing of all monetary assets associated with the Syrian government across the EU;

6.

Requests the implementation of further economic sanctions on Syria with the aim of exerting pressure on the current regime;

7.

Endorses the creation of a new Syrian constitution, taking note of and working closely with the many ethnic groups and minorities in Syria, based on the principals of: a)

democracy;

b)

human rights;

c)

the division of powers.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON C ULTURE AND E DUCATION With growing recognition of the importance of cultural diplomacy: How can the EU broaden the scope of its cultural policies and successfully promote the Union’s core values, such as democracy, human rights protection and equality, through cultural initiatives?

Submitted by:

Jeroen van Alem (Cals College); Zephyr Brüggen (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Laura Defossez (K.S.G. de Breul); Steffan Oberman (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Annick van der Harten (Christelijk Lyceum Zeist); Annemarie Hijmans van den Bergh (Marnix College); Axel Hirschel (Revius Lyceum Doorn); Lucia van der Meulen (RSG Pantarijn); Kim Peters (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); Tatjana Ramljak (Stanislas College); Maarten de Reij (Tabor Werenfridus); Carolina Vergroesen (Berlage Lyceum); Jeroen Wübbels (Metameer); Dirk Hofland (Chairperson, NL); Milda Šabūnaitė (President, LT)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Fully believing in the importance of culture for intergovernmental relations, B. Emphasising the need to keep the creative process itself independent from any political agenda, C. Recognising cultural diplomacy as the exchange of ideas, information, values and other aspects of culture, with the intention of fostering mutual understanding in order to promote national interests, build relationships and enhance socio-cultural understanding, D. Believing the core values of the European Union (EU) to be: i)

unity,

ii)

peace,

iii)

freedom of speech, thought and religion,

iv)

democracy,

v)

protection of human rights,

vi)

equality,

E. Emphasising the need to raise awareness of the EU’s core values both inside and outside the EU, F.

Convinced that cultural diplomacy should be used as an effective tool to promote the EU’s core values through leading by example,

G. Recognising that cultural diversity is a key part of the European identity, H. Convinced that this diversity should be protected by national cultural policies of individual Member States;

1.

Recommends Member States to oblige high schools to offer a programme on EU studies for all levels;

2.

Calls for the appointment of cultural ambassadors who shall be responsible for:

a)

all cultural initiatives abroad,

b)

representation and promotion of the core values of the EU through cultural initiatives;

3.

Calls upon the EU to extend communication through means of online media, such as websites and online fora;

4.

Urges the EU to raise awareness of its core values amongst its citizens through: a)

facilitating cross-border cultural events, such as music festivals, concerts and sport competitions,

b)

allocating funds for non-profit organisations currently promoting these values in countries outside the EU,

c)

creating platforms for intercultural dialogue.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON E CONOMIC AND M ONETARY A FFAIRS In the light of the UK opting out of the recently proposed fiscal union pact, how much control should the EU have in regulating national fiscal policies?

Submitted by:

Dianne de Gee (Marnix College); Kaj Heesakkers (Metameer); Willem Koelewijn (Christelijk Lyceum Zeist); Pelle Koppen (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Yannick Louwerse (Revius Lyceum Doorn); SamuĂŤl Nelemans (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Cas van der Oord (Tabor Werenfridus); Martijn Pas (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); Bren Schaap (RSG Pantarijn); Panayiotis Ataou (Chairperson, CY); Karim Ben Hamda (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Fully aware of the diversity in cultures across the European Union (EU) leading to different economic interests among Member States when considering fiscal policies, B. Recognising the current poor financial situation of certain Member States, C. Realising the necessity for a control mechanism over Member States’ fiscal policies and their execution, D. Noting with regret the increasing lack of confidence towards the EU from various Member States regarding its abilities to handle economic affairs, E. Deeply disturbed by the inefficiency and loss of credibility of the EU caused by:

F.

i)

a number of failed EU summits on fiscal policy,

ii)

lengthy bureaucratic processes in fiscal policy decision making,

Fully aware that various Member States have been neglecting previously set criteria and have been denying their importance,

G. Alarmed by the fact that the appropriate measures against excessive budget deficits were not taken by the EU despite the fact that criteria laid out in the Maastricht Treaty were breached by certain Member States, H. Declaring that an improvement in the level of transparency within the EU is required, I.

Expecting that a certain amount of sovereignty of Member States has to be sacrificed in order to serve a common European interest;

1.

Accepts the European Commission (EC) as the primary organ regarding European fiscal and monetary matters;

2.

Calls for the European Parliament to abolish current veto rights regarding monetary and fiscal policies and enforce the requirement of an 85% majority when voting on such policies;

3.

Recommends that if Member State budgets do not comply with the criteria set in the Maastricht Treaty they will be allowed six months to alter their budget plan which, if remain inadequate, will then be followed by immediate involvement of the EC;

4.

Authorises the EC to step in after six months if the set criteria are not met in order to reach an agreement with the Member States in question on developing a more appropriate budget plan;

5.

Supports three years of budget guidance after the Member State in question has met the criteria set in the Maastricht Treaty, executed by the EC;

6.

Calls upon Member States to report on their budget in detail on a yearly basis.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON C IVIL L IBERTIES , J USTICE AND H OME A FFAIRS I A common European identity: a core European value or an outdated concept? With the rise of nationalist right-wing movements across Member States, what actions should the EU take to reaffirm and strengthen its citizens’ trust in the European idea, and create a more unified, inclusive and tolerant society?

Submitted by:

Kim Blommestein (Metameer); Misha Goudsmit (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Elenora Hu (Stanislas College); Bonnie van der Lee (Berlage Lyceum); Anneke van der Linde (Marnix College); Quinten van der Kaaij (Erfgooiers College); Christian van Kampen (Revius Lyceum Doorn); Camilla Nieman (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Jeroen Porton (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); Leon Rinkel (Christelijk Lyceum Zeist); Evelien Scheffers (K.S.G. de Breul); Leonie Stroet (Tabor Werenfridus); Frank Reijbroek (RSG Pantarijn); Yves Haverkamp (Chairperson, NL); Victoria Bendiksby Wilkinson (Vice-President, NO)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Keeping in mind that the European Union (EU) was originally established in order to maintain peace between Member States through economic integration, B. Bearing in mind that the EU makes it possible for individual Member States to have a stronger impact on international questions, C. Fully aware of the growing scepticism towards the EU within Member States, D. Deeply concerned that nationalist right-wing movements tend to have a populist nature, E. Believing in a more unified Europe, F.

Taking into account the distrust among citizens of Member States towards the EU, caused by: i)

not being involved in the decision making process,

ii)

economic instability,

iii)

the lack of visible results of the work of the EU institutions,

G. Expressing its dissatisfaction with the citizens’ lack of knowledge, education and understanding of the EU’s system and its institutions, H. Recognising the difficulty of reaffirming the European identity due to economic and cultural differences between Member States, I.

Noting the decrease in effectiveness of EU institutions as a result of Member States’ unwillingness to give up their sovereignty,

J.

Bearing in mind the considerable delay before the citizens see the result of actions taken by European institutions;

1.

Urges the EU to create balance against the popularity of right-wing nationalist movements in order to strengthen the citizens trust in the European idea;

2.

Urges all Member States to establish an obligatory EU education programme in schools;

3.

Encourages Member States to promote European values and European unity through cultural and educational initiatives such as festivals and documentaries about other EU countries to celebrate the variety of cultures in Europe;

4.

Trusts that each Member State places the same amount of emphasis on elections for the European Parliament as on elections for national government;

5.

Encourages all Member States to directly elect their representatives to the European Commission;

6.

Recommends the establishment of an independent press agency in the EU;

7.

Further recommends this agency to have a representative for every Member State responsible for informing the citizens in his country on current European matters;

8.

Expresses its hope that all information relevant to citizens from the European institutions is made accessible for all.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON E MPLOYMENT AND S OCIAL A FFAIRS Two years after celebrating the European year to combat poverty and social exclusion, 1 out of 7 European citizens still face the risk of living in poverty. What means should be taken to achieve efficient reduction and efficient eradication of poverty and social inequality across the EU? Submitted by:

Marco Barsoum (Berlage Lyceum); Heleen van de Coevering (Cals College); Annemarie Cools (Stanislas College); Anne van der Heijden (RSG Pantarijn); Iris Koning (Tabor Werenfridus); Hester van der Laan (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Jasper Montanus (Revius Lyceum Doorn); Irma Ridder (Erfgooiers College); Shannon Teunissen (Metameer); Koen Verdenius (Marnix College); Demi Wiskerke (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); Eliane Zwart (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Lorenzo Parrulli (Chairperson, IT); Jara Verkleij (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Taking note of the fact that, between 2006 and 2013, the European Social Fund (ESF) will have spent 10% of the European Union’s (EU) budget on its employment-enhancing projects, B. Noting with regret that not all Member States act in accordance with government budgets' limits established in the Treaty on European Union and the agreements which followed, C. Bearing in mind that strategies to combat poverty and social inequality are constituted on the European level, but implemented mostly on national level, D. Fully alarmed by the economic and financial crisis regarding employment and social conditions in the EU, E. Deeply concerned by the fact that more than 14% of the EU population between 18 and 24 years of age left school prematurely, F.

Noting with deep concern that unemployment rates of people without secondary level education is almost three times as high as the rate of those with a tertiary level of education,

G. Fully aware of the entry barriers that minorities face when accessing the labour market, H. Emphasising the high risk of impoverishment caused by the low level of pensions across the EU;

1.

Encourages Member States and the European Commission to expand the ESF budget for social policy actions implemented by those Member States that have the highest unemployment rates;

2.

Urges Member States to augment and improve social benefits for those relying on an income below 60% of the median average household income of their country;

3.

Further requests that the abovementioned citizens are supported by tax cuts once they become active in the labour market;

4.

Recommends independent auditing in order to revise and propose adjustments to budget plans created by governments of Member States;

5.

Calls upon Member States to invest in creating more jobs for those without secondary level education;

6.

Requests that Member States encourage the abovementioned less-educated people to resume their education or support them during the job search;

7.

Invites Member States to adopt minimum quotas for groups which are at risk of suffering from social inequality (i.e. women, immigrants, the disabled), adjusted to the specific economic and business sector;

8.

Calls upon Member States to allocate more funds to raise pensions to a level that ensures financial and social stability to the beneficiary.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON E MPLOYMENT AND S OCIAL A FFAIRS Two years after celebrating the European year to combat poverty and social exclusion, 1 out of 7 European citizens still face the risk of living in poverty. What means should be taken to achieve efficient reduction and efficient eradication of poverty and social inequality across the EU? Submitted by:

Marco Barsoum (Berlage Lyceum); Heleen van de Coevering (Cals College); Annemarie Cools (Stanislas College); Anne van der Heijden (RSG Pantarijn); Iris Koning (Tabor Werenfridus); Hester van der Laan (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Jasper Montanus (Revius Lyceum Doorn); Irma Ridder (Erfgooiers College); Shannon Teunissen (Metameer); Koen Verdenius (Marnix College); Demi Wiskerke (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); Eliane Zwart (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Lorenzo Parrulli (Chairperson, IT); Jara Verkleij (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Taking note of the fact that, between 2006 and 2013, the European Social Fund (ESF) will have spent 10% of the European Union’s (EU) budget on its employment-enhancing projects, B. Noting with regret that not all Member States act in accordance with government budgets' limits established in the Treaty on European Union and the agreements which followed, C. Bearing in mind that strategies to combat poverty and social inequality are constituted on the European level, but implemented mostly on national level, D. Fully alarmed by the economic and financial crisis regarding employment and social conditions in the EU, E. Deeply concerned by the fact that more than 14% of the EU population between 18 and 24 years of age left school prematurely, F.

Noting with deep concern that unemployment rates of people without secondary level education is almost three times as high as the rate of those with a tertiary level of education,

G. Fully aware of the entry barriers that minorities face when accessing the labour market, H. Emphasising the high risk of impoverishment caused by the low level of pensions across the EU;

1.

Encourages Member States and the European Commission to expand the ESF budget for social policy actions implemented by those Member States that have the highest unemployment rates;

2.

Urges Member States to augment and improve social benefits for those relying on an income below 60% of the median average household income of their country;

3.

Further requests that the abovementioned citizens are supported by tax cuts once they become active in the labour market;

4.

Recommends independent auditing in order to revise and propose adjustments to budget plans created by governments of Member States;

5.

Calls upon Member States to invest in creating more jobs for those without secondary level education;

6.

Requests that Member States encourage the abovementioned less-educated people to resume their education or support them during the job search;

7.

Invites Member States to adopt minimum quotas for groups which are at risk of suffering from social inequality (i.e. women, immigrants, the disabled), adjusted to the specific economic and business sector;

8.

Calls upon Member States to allocate more funds to raise pensions to a level that ensures financial and social stability to the beneficiary.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON C LIMATE C HANGE With a global commitment to sign a legally binding agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions achieved in Durban, how can the EU maintain its leading role in future negotiations on the specifics of the agreement in order to ensure an effective fight against climate change?

Submitted by:

Romy uit het Broek (Cals College); Bregje Ditters (Metameer); Leon Hermans (Marnix College); Tadé Hogenelst (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Bernet Meijer (St. Ignatiusgymnasium); Olivier van Minnen (Erfgooiers College); Caroline Opperman (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); Myrthe Roemer (Stanislas College); Jorden Schoonderwoerd (Revius Lyceum Doorn); Emma van Zoelen (Tabor Werenfridus); Pieternel de Zwart (RSG Pantarijn); Maria-Anna Grasl (Chairperson, AT); Charif van Zetten (Chairperson, NL)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Noting with deep concern that green energy remains a secondary source of power and is not yet a reliable substitute for finite fossil fuels, B. Observing that new ideas on how to tackle climate change are lost due to a lack of cooperation between universities in Member States and the research activities in the European Union (EU), C. Believing that incentives might encourage more students to work for the implementation and further development of their own ideas, D. Concerned with the large amount of emissions certificates that reduces the need for companies to limit their amount of emissions, E. Expresses its appreciation for the European Commission’s decision to include all greenhouse gases and sectors for the Phase III (2013 -2020) of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), F.

Fully aware that transport is the cause of generating a quarter of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions,

G. Noting that the use of private transport has a greater polluting effect than public transport, H. Realising that the current public transportation system within the EU is insufficient as an alternative to private transport, I.

Alarmed that citizens of Member States are not sufficiently aware of the significant consequences of, and the individual contribution to climate change;

1.

Fully supports the maintenance of EU’s leading role in future negotiations concerning the fight against climate change by acting as a role model rather than an aggressor;

2.

Encourages the improvement and subsequent implementation of all kinds of alternative energy such as geothermal-, solar-, wind-, bio- and hydro energy, by conducting essential research;

3.

Calls for increased acknowledgement of the innovative ideas potentially tackling climate change provided by university students of both the European Research Council (ERC) and the European University Association (EUA) collectively;

4.

Further calls that for extra academic credits be awarded to students whose ideas have been implemented;

5.

Recommends to set the linear factor, by which the amount of emission allowances shall decrease annually in relation to the Phase II cap, above the agreed 1.74% so as to ensure that the EU will achieve a 21% reduction in EU ETS sector emissions compared to 2005 by 2020;

6.

Encourages the media to effectively inform European citizens of their responsibility concerning the negative consequences of climate change;

7.

Further invites the media to stress the benefits of an eco-friendly lifestyle;

8.

Declares the necessity of using sustainable energy in means of public transport, such as buses, trains and metros;

9.

Urges the European Railway Agency to improve its operating systems to effectively connect all Member States.

M OTION FOR A R ESOLUTION BY T HE C OMMITTEE ON C ONSTITUTIONAL A FFAIRS Further expansion or more integration? Witnessing growing levels of civic scepticism towards the European project as a number of existing Member States struggle through severe economic instability, should the EU continue to expand its borders or should it rather focus on deeper integration of its current Member States?

Submitted by:

Naomi Appelman (Barlaeus Gymnasium); Emily den Boer (Revius Lyceum Doorn); Vivianne Jagt (Mencia de Mendoza Lyceum); Chris de Jong (Marnix College); Ilse de Jong (RSG Pantarijn); Jari Kuipers (Berlage Lyceum); Elise Langedijk (Tabor Werenfridus); Bas van Leeuwen (Christelijk Lyceum Zeist); Leonie Oorschot (Cals College); Jorrit Oudhof (Stanislas College); Thomas Relou (Metameer); Welmoed Rentes (K.S.G de Breul); Milan Varenhorst (Erfgooiers College); Nastassia Winge (St. Ignatiusgymnasium), Megan Wennekers (Chairperson, NL), Dimitris Zacharias (Chairperson, GR)

The European Youth Parliament, A. Deeply disturbed by the increasing democratic deficit which has rendered European Union decision making processes inefficient, B. Deeply concerned by the lack of a common European identity among Member States which contradicts the EU motto “United in Diversity”, C. Alarmed by increasing levels of Euroscepticism and their impact on EU integration strategies, D. Bearing in mind that conflict between interests of the Member States and those of the EU lead to contradicting policies which obstruct effectiveness and overall efficiency of the policy making processes, E. Noting with regret the EU’s inability to provide candidate countries and potential candidates with sufficient financial assistance due to the current deteriorating economic environment, F.

Emphasising the EU’s commitment to support candidate countries and potential candidates in their efforts to join the bloc,

G. Recognising the need to strengthen the EU by further integrating Member States on a political and social level which will reinstate economic stability and financial sustainability, H. Seeking to distinguish between long and short term strategic objectives aimed at consolidating EU integration policies and the need to stabilise the economy;

1.

Supports pan–European student exchange programmes and volunteer work allowing young participants to form a European identity;

2.

Calls for the inclusion of a European dimension in formal and non-formal education;

3.

Recommends the use of information campaigns aimed at rendering EU more accessible to the public;

4.

Urges EU institutions and NGOs to promote youth involvement in political simulation activities aimed at increasing participation and interest in political European affairs;

5.

Expresses its hope that the decision-making processes in the EU are accelerated by granting the European Parliament more authority on legislative matters;

6.

Recommends the postponement of accession negotiations with candidate countries and potential candidates countries until the evaluation of economic surroundings provide concrete conclusions which indicate recovery and overall economic stability;

7.

Encourages the EU to maintain its financial and other assistance to candidate countries and potential candidate countries that are currently in the negotiation process;

8.

Strongly condemns failure of Member States to converge to the criteria of the Growth and Stability Pact (GSP) by imposing:

9.

a)

monetary sanctions in the short-term,

b)

tighter financial monitoring so as to ensure budgetary discipline in the long term;

Calls for the short-term centralisation of decision making in matters of monetary balance and budgetary monitoring so as to ensure economic recovery.